I’ve been reading some stuff about Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval, a title given to the Virgin Mary in the Philippines. Can anyone else tell me stuff about the name and it’s significance. I’ve read about the naval victories and know pretty much the story, but I’d like to know more. Just curious I guess. Also is the name “Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval” or just “Our Lady of La Naval?”

One of the Web sites says: "The Catholic Church in the Philippines, especially Marian devotees, yesterday commemorated the feast of Our Lady of La Naval, a special title given centuries ago to the Blessed Virgin as “helper of Christian navies.”

The last link says that: “In 1571, the armada of the Cross under John of Austria, brother of King Phillip II, met and defeated the naval armies of the Crescent under Selim the Sot off the gulf of Lepanto between Itally and Greece. Saint Pius V, the great Dominimcan Pope, ordered the public praying of the Rosary throughout Christendom in support of the Christian navies stopping the onslaught of Islam. Although aged and ill, he himself led, on foot, a rosary procession through Rome. After the victory fo the Christian forces, the church was quick to acknowledge the help of Our Lady, and instituted October 7 as the feast of the Queen of the Most HOly Rosary, a feast around which naval traditions have gravitated through the centuries. From this, the name “La Naval” came to be known as a special title for Our Lady, helper of Christian Navies.”